Toddler feeding tricks

Ok, thought I would start this to see the other tricks you all have...

DS decides periodically that he hates everything I try to feed him, so I'm constantly trying to keep up with his pickiness. He had all but given up on veggie burgers and hot dogs until I figured out the solution: KETCHUP!

He now eats anything on his plate as long as he has ketchup to dip it in. When he runs out of ketchup, he'll use yogurt, applesauce...pretty much whatever he has in front of him. He's just very into the dipping. I'm wondering if I should start hoarding sauces from McDonald's...

Any other tricks of the trade for tricking them out of their pickiness?

I think I'll have to buy stock in Heinz now...

Sometimes mine fall for things "creatively cut". i.e. hot dogs cut into sticks rather than circles, sandwiches that are a perfect square or triangle by cutting the crusts off, waffles cut into sticks for dipping ease. I've found w/my guys (4 and nearly 3) I have better luck if I lead them to believe THEY'VE chosen the food.

That said, they pretty much live on chicken tenders, hot dogs, steak (they love it), and orange beef (no sodium in their diets). I console myself w/the fact that they love fruits, soy milk, regular milk, and yogurt most of the time.

Good luck - it changes with the wind really.

[DCJenn]

I'm so thankful that Nikolai hasn't really started this yet, I think because in the orphanage, they ate or they went hungry. He doesn't like carrots but will eat any kind of mashed up potato. He also isn't big on meat so I have to make sure that he gets his protein from dairy or soy products.

Currently the big hit in our house is those Spinach nuggets that you can find the section where the tofu is in the grocery store. I found broccoli nuggets at a different grocery store yesterday so we'll check those out soon. He's only had pancakes twice, but he liked them as long as they didn't have syrup on them. He likes cinnamon raisin toast but only with butter, no honey. He's very particular about his hands getting sticky (another remnant from the babushkas, I think) so we're very careful to give him finger foods that aren't too horrible. Bananas are about the most sticky that he'll tolerate.

We've also discovered Stouffer's Spinach Souffle and their mac and chese with broccoli. He loves pierogies still, too.

For drinks he gets kefir or whole milk or water. For the occasional treat I give him water that's been spiked with apple juice.

Really, he's essentially a vegetarian, which is ok, because so are we!

Jenn

I love Nikolai's eating habits! I still can get over the brussel sprouts and beet story.

[mommax3]

I had two that couldn't stand having sticky/messy hands. I found that leaving a wet washcloth or wet paper towel where they could reach it removed that particular stressor from their lives and allowed them to enjoy their food......just a thought!

(Now, of course, their hands could be encrusted with mud and they would still lick their fingers if something good dripped on them.)

Sally

He had all but given up on veggie burgers and hot dogs until I figured out the solution: KETCHUP!

Okay, this may be a silly question, but how do you get him to take a bite of the food along with the ketchup?? DD has been becoming quite the picky eater (she used to do so well!) lately, and I've done the ketchup thing, but she'll dip, suck the ketchup off and dip again. And I can't justify letting her eat ketchup for dinner, though there have been nights that I've really tried to.

I have better luck if I lead them to believe THEY'VE chosen the food.

I'm hoping DD will grow into this. I've been giving her options, but she'll change her mind constantly, and then throw a fit when, for example, she doesn't get the plum that was offered after she already took a few bites of the apple she chose. I've decided she's not ready for decisions like this and so she gets whatever we are eating, or whatever I fix her. Not that it really makes a difference. She's two. She'll throw a fit about anything.

[Sheherezade]

I had the most luck with the "snack plate" approach. I usually gave my kids a small portion of a large number of things. They would eat a little of this and that and I'd store the leftovers for the next snack plate. I'd do things like little bits of grilled chicken, some cut up fruits, veggies, cheese, small bits of cracker or bread, nuts, olives..... They ate what they wanted and ignored what they wanted. I'm a strong believer in the theory that children will take in the nutrition they need if offered a wide variety of healthy foods. (Clearly, I'm a low pressure mom at meal time!) "Snack plate" was their favorite meal. We never had any difficulty with eating here; now, table manners are a different matter entirely!

Yeah, I spoke too soon--although I had initially dipped for him and then given it to him to eat, he eventually took over himself. That was going fine until lunchtime today when he figured out that he could just dip it and then eat the ketchup--DH (home for lunch for probably the first and last time EVER) told him, "No, Ethan-your veggie burger is not a utensil to eat the ketchup--put it all in your mouth!"

I just need to accept the fact that this child is, has been, and will always be smarter than me. My constant battle to not let him outsmart me is useless.

[Meenah]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those were the days. Last time I went to dinner with Amy we both ordered wine!!!
When she was little she would eat anything dipped in French Salad Dressing. I could poach a chicken breast and give her the dressing and she would eat it. I also used the mini muffin tins used for baking, and put a liittle bit of something in each "muffin " holder. They both liked that.
Luanne

Laura's suggestion about the sauces is awesome .... if only my kids would eat sauces. They want spaghetti - no sauce, pizza - no sauce, and NEVER, EVER a cheese sauce.... except that Kraft mac / "cheese" is okay.

[DCJenn]

Oh, another thing we do here is the second anything hits the ground, the meal ends. I figure if he's being that much of a jerk, he must be full or bored or both. It's just one of those things that sends me over the edge.

He usually waits to toss his cheerios at the end of the meal, and I've taken them away enough times that now he knows. (not that he doesn't challenge this rule regularly)

I think I'm going to move him from the high chair to a booster seat pretty soon too. I think the high chair fosters a "I'm different" mindset.

Fun with food!

Jenn

(meanwhile, my nephew still refuses to eat anything with texture. I keep telling him that his date to the prom is going to be grossed out when his mom shows up with the blender.)